stand by
Britishverb
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(intr, adverb) to be available and ready to act if needed or called upon
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(intr, adverb) to be present as an onlooker or without taking any action
he stood by at the accident
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(intr, preposition) to be faithful to
to stand by one's principles
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(tr, adverb) English law (of the Crown) to challenge (a juror) without needing to show cause
noun
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a person or thing that is ready for use or can be relied on in an emergency
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( as modifier )
stand-by provisions
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in a state of readiness for action or use
adjective
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Be ready or available to act, as in I'm almost ready for you to carve the turkey, so please stand by . [Mid-1200s]
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Wait for something to resume, as in We are all standing by until the power is restored . Also see on standby .
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Be present but remain uninvolved, refrain from acting, as in I can't stand by and see these kids shoplifting . [Late 1300s]
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Remain loyal, as in She's my friend and I'll stand by her, no matter what . [Early 1500s] Also see stick by .
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Adhere to, abide by, as in I'm going to stand by what I said yesterday . [Late 1300s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Diana had made her two cherished boys promise to always stand by one other, but almost 30 years after her death they are no longer talking.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
“And ultimately we could only stand by the book.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
But Weaver insisted that her husband was nothing but supportive of her decision, telling the outlet that he was ready to stand by her side whether she chose to continue with the D.C.C. or not.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Munro continued to stand by him, sacrificing her relationship with Andrea.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
And I didn’t know what to do with my hands or my legs or my whole body, really, so I went over to stand by Mr. Neely.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
